June 04, 2008

The Teenage Rite of Passage... PROM!

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend's daughter, Marisa, let me in on a little plan. With her senior year coming to a close, prom was in sight and she had arranged a session for me to take pre-party photos for her group of friends before they headed out to the gala. (I have to admit, this kid is good... I should probably make her my marketing manager.)

In the days leading up to the big day, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. She did all the arranging and told me where to show up. I got to the designated location a bit early, scouted out potential spots for light and minimal background distraction and waited for the kids to arrive. Unfortunately, it was a popular location for prom photos and parents and kids alike edged me out of my first-choice spot. Fortunately for me, I found an even better location and as our kids trickled in, (the girls tell me it takes TIME to look that good!) I started snapping.

I had such a fun time with this session. Not only were the girls stunning and their dates handsome, but they were so nice and funny as heck. They were comfortable in front of the camera, confident in themselves, and assured of the fact that not only was the evening going to be fantastic, but that their bright futures are in front of them, ready for the taking.

Here are a few of my favorites... I had so much fun with all the different colored gowns!

Because there were so many parents photographing their kids and such a limited amount of time, I wasn't able to photograph all of the couples and individuals after the group shots. (Seriously, I think there was one camera to every two kids!) And I think I spend the most time with Marisa and her date because they showed up before everyone else... (See? I told you she was good!)

And a few solo shots...

This last shot cracks me up every time I look at it! It was a bit breezy and I was standing on top of a table with the lens right in their faces. He was surprised that the lens was so close and made a comment to that effect. This is the result:

Marisa & Lauren, thank you so much for setting this up. And thank you to all the prom kids who showed up... you guys are awesome!